As with earned income, certain unearned income exclusions are
authorized by other Federal laws as well as by Title XVI. Countable
unearned income can never be less than zero. However, there is one
unearned income exclusion that can be applied to earned income (see
(M) in this section). Unearned income exclusions are applied in the
following order:

Payments or benefits excluded by provisions of a Federal
statute other than Title XVI of the Social Security Act;

Any public agency's refund of taxes on real property
or food;

Assistance based on need and funded wholly by a State
or one of its political subdivisions (including Indian tribes). It
does not matter whether these payments are made directly to an individual
or are paid to someone else on his or her behalf. This exclusion
includes all State payments used to supplement SSI;

Any portion of a grant, scholarship, fellowship, or
gifts used for paying tuition, fees or other necessary educational
expenses (effective 6/1/04). However, any amount set aside or actually
used for food or shelter is not excluded;

Food raised by an individual or by his or her spouse
if consumed by the household;

Assistance received under the Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act and assistance provided under any Federal
statute because of a catastrophe declared by the President to be
a major disaster (see §2138);

The first $60 per calendar quarter of unearned income
if received infrequently or irregularly; for example, if the income
is received only once during a calendar quarter from a single source
and the individual did not receive it in the month immediately preceding
that month or in the month immediately following that month regardless
of whether or not the payments occur in different calendar quarters,
or if its receipt cannot reasonably be expected;

Payments received by certain recipients under the
Alaska Longevity Bonus program;

Payments to an individual for providing foster care
to a child placed in the individual's home by a qualified agency;

Any interest earned on excluded burial funds and any
appreciation in the value of an excluded burial arrangement left
to accumulate and become part of the separately identifiable burial
fund (see §2161);

Certain home energy and other needs-based support
and maintenance assistance (see §2139);

One-third of support payments made by an absent parent
to or for an eligible child;

The first $20 per month of an individual's total unearned
income other than income based on need. Payments are based on need
if the recipient's income is a factor in determining eligibility
for the payments. (Any portion of this exclusion that cannot be used
up against unearned income is applied against earned income received
in the same month);

NOTE: A needs-based payment funded solely
by any combination of a State and its political subdivisions (including
Indian tribes) is called “assistance based on need” and
is excluded totally (see (C) in this section). A needs-based payment
funded wholly or partially by a non-governmental organization or
by the Federal Government is called “income based on need.” It does not qualify for this $20 general exclusion; (For an exclusion
that may apply to assistance provided by nonprofit organizations,
see §2139).

Any unearned income used to fulfill an approved plan
for achieving self-support in the case of a blind or disabled individual
who:

Is under age 65; or

Received SSI based on blindness or disability for
the month he or she turned 65;

Federal housing assistance, whether provided directly
by the Federal Government or through other entities such as local
housing authorities, nonprofit organizations, etc.;

Any interest accrued on (or after April 1, 1990) and
left to accumulate as part of the value of an excluded burial space
purchase agreement;

The value of any commercial transportation ticket
received as a gift and not converted to cash. This applies to travel
among the 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands,
Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands;

Hostile fire or imminent danger pay from the Uniformed
Services received in or after October 1993;

Payments received from a State fund to aid victims
of crime;

Relocation assistance provided under Title II of the
Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisitions Policies
Act of 1970;

Austrian Social Insurance payments that are based,
in whole or in part, on wage credits received for certain losses
suffered before and during World War II;

Payments made by the Dutch Government under the Netherlands
Act on Benefits for Victims of Persecution 1940-1945 to individuals
who were victims of persecution and suffering from illnesses or disabilities
resulting from the persecution.

Dividend or interest income earned on countable resources
or resources excluded under other Federal laws (effective 7/1/04);

Interest or earnings on a dedicated account which
is excluded from resources;

Certain gifts to children with life-threatening conditions;

Any annuity paid by a State for certain veterans or
the veteran's spouse (effective 9/1/08);

Americorps State and National payments, and National
Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) payments (effective 9/1/08).